According to co-patent application No. 815455 now, U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,815 titled `Computer Monitoring of Endoscope` by the same authors, tranducers were mounted on an endoscope to monitor its movements in various planes. Thus the treatment or examining part of the endoscope can be monitored, displaying its exact position in relation to landmarks in the organ being examined.
A further important application of the said monitoring system is in a Urodynamic test called Urethral Pressure Profile. In this test the pressure along the Urethral passage from the bladder to the outside is measured and recorded as a graphic curve. According to present art in an attempt to correlate pressure with length, a motor is used to withdraw the catheter at a fixed rate while fluid is injected continuously at a fixed rate, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,191,196 and 4,233,991. Distance transversed by the pressure recording catheter can be computed. Catheters are made to measure pressure in the bladder and simultaneously in the urethra, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,301, 4,484,585, and 4,538,621. However, when such a recording is made there is no way to make exact correlation with pressure and endoscopically visible landmarks. Even in Cystometry System described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,911, exact correlation is not possible. At present electromyographic recordings are made with pressure, U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,548, but this too does not give exact relationship to visible anatomical landmarks.
It is the purpose of this invention to correlate pressures with exact endoscopically visible anatomical sites within the organ, to graphically display, store, print and or perform other actions depending on the data received by a microcomputer.
In disease obstruction can occur at the bladder neck, in the prostatic urethra or anywhere along the said urinary passage. The exact site of obstruction can be determined by means of this invention. Tests described in this invention can be performed during surgery to ensure complete removal of the obstructing tissue. Exact site of the sphincter in relation to endoscopically visible anatomical landmarks can also be located.
If pressure testing reveals cause of obstruction is non coordination of external sphincter then surgery is not needed.